Category Archives: Mathematics

“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret to success.” by Norman Vincent Peale

A while back I had an idea.

A light bulb went on in my head and wanted to do something about it but I had the “Who am I to do this?” question wasn’t helping me at all. I finally decided to share my idea with a friend to see what he would have to say. He is a very successful business man who had been involved in the business world for many years; I knew that I could trust him to get the most honest feedback that I could possibly ask for. At that time I felt that I needed someone’s approval to move forward with my ideas. I got the approval I needed. It was now the time to go forward with creating a plan and brainstorm around the next steps.

Yes, it took me a year, a few focus groups, a few meetings with some of the people that I admire … it was time to take ACTION and just do it.

Throughout the year, I still felt that I needed approval from the outside world and found myself asking for permission to move forward because I was not sure of myself.

Let me explain what this is all about …

As a woman, born and raised in a society that expected me to be who I am not, it thought me that being born a woman it is by default that I have to refrain myself from indulging in my full potential and that, in order to move forward in this world, I have to ask for permission. I did stand up to it all and did what I had to do, but that didn’t always come easy, to say the least.

As a child I dreamed of becoming a teacher or a lawyer. I wanted to change the next generation’s lives by exposing them to the confidence that I was not exposed to. Continue reading →

It is imperative to realize that, when it comes to technology and social media, it is harder for Canadians to find the resources available to them compared to our neighbours from across the border. Not to mention that the opportunities for young women in this sector are much more limited.

There are many key findings which suggest that this is true and through research one can see that support is much limited to Canadians in this sector. If we go in deeper and analyze the marginalized communities of a big Canadian city such as Toronto, for example, one can clearly see that opportunities become minimal particularly to young girls.

Many agencies that serve such demographic do not focus on making available education in career advancement which is cutting edge and up to date to what an employer is looking for. Before we even get to the discussion of job opportunities we must acknowledge the fact that when it comes to any of the male dominated subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM), we are dealing with a systemic fact that young girls are not introduced to such studies early enough for them to generate an interest in this topic. Continue reading →

Not too long ago I was in a room full of women where they were discussing their future. Some were older and felt that they had nothing to live for while some were looking at their future with hope. Are we feeding enough knowledge into the next generation to ensure that their future is bright enough so that they can stand on their own? Maybe or maybe not.

The older generation of women would reminisce at the chances they were not given and the opportunities they have missed all because they were born females. One in particular was born to solve crime in a scientific lab but her father had said to her that her job was to have a family and raise children. Learning how to cook might be a better option for her.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is an important factor to our society. Without science we cannot examine the world around us. Technology serves as an information and communication infrastructure. Engineering is so broad and can apply to so many industries — computer engineer, mechanical engineer, civil engineer, chemical engineer, and the list goes on.

Oh, and engineering is totally based on mathematics. This is all like a chain where all four topics blend in to compliment each other. Why is it that in real life things do not work just the same, where women and men are presented with the same opportunities to enter in this field? Continue reading →